Michael A. Cummings

Michael A. Cummings (b. 1945) is a leading figure in the history of contemporary quiltmaking. Born in Los Angeles, California, he began his artistic career after moving to New York City in 1970. Inspired by relationships with Romare Bearden, Faith Ringgold, Norman Lewis, and Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, Cummings began experimenting with fabric collage using appliqué techniques. In 1972, he began working for the New York Department of Cultural Affairs. In 1976, he held his first one-person exhibition at The Studio Museum in Harlem. Cummings was the artist-in-residence for the New York Foundation for the Arts from 1977 to 1979, and joined the New York State Council on the Arts as an arts program analyst in 1980. He received his BA in art history from SUNY-Empire State College in 1979. Since the late 1980s, Cummings’ practice has centered on colorful large-scale narrative quilts. He has held one-person exhibitions at the Francine Seders Gallery, Seattle, WA (1992); Akron Art Museum, OH (1993); Bates College, Lewiston, ME (1998); and International Quilt Festival, Yokohama, Japan (2011). His work is represented in many notable public collections, including the Brooklyn Museum, NY; The Studio Museum in Harlem, NY; Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York, NY; California African American Museum, Los Angeles, CA; Museum of Art and Design, New York, NY; and Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.

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